Regular readers will be aware of the very generous and extremely large donation promised to the team by the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited, with many reports having been made on our website over the last year.
Our colleagues at Oldham MRT and Rossendale & Pendle MRT also benefitted from the very kind generosity of the Mark Master Masons of East Lancashire, with grants to them of £40,000.00 each.
We have all utilised this huge collective donation of £120,000.00 to renew team vehicles, with orders for our vehicles and those for Oldham MRT now made.
Today in the company of our colleague teams at Oldham and Rossendale & Pendle MRTs, we all journeyed to the East Lancashire Mark Fellowship Open Day at Middleton Masonic Club, Manchester, where thankfully the rain and clouds of the morning disappeared to be replaced with a fine sunny afternoon for the event.
All three teams arrived with representative MR vehicles, members present from our team included our Chairman Ken Oakes, Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Training Officer Elaine Gilliland, Mike Marsh, Paul Brain and Diane Blakeley.
Senior members from Oldham MRT and Rossendale & Pendle MRT were also present including their Team Leaders and Chairmen.
At a ceremony presided over by Keith Schofield, Provincial Grand Master of the Mark Master Masons of East Lancashire, each MRT was individually presented with a cheque for £40,000.00.
Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE receives the cheque from Keith Schofield
Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE receives the cheque from Keith Schofield – in the sun this time
Other beneficiaries of the Mark Master Masons tremendous kindness and support, were also present to receive large donations, including Marie Curie, £50,000.00, East Lancashire Scouts Jamboree Fund, £5,000.00. (To support 45x Scouts from East Lancashire who will be attending the World Scout International Jamboree 2011 in Sweden) and the Lewis Anthony Trust, £4,171.00, for life saving medical care facilities for children.
All the recipients of the cheques from the day with Keith Schofield
Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, on behalf of all three Mountain Rescue Teams present as beneficiaries of the East Lancashire Mark Master Masons kindness, then addressed all attending with a short address of thanks.
In his thanks Garry stated; “On behalf of all three Mountain Rescue Teams present your tremendous and unprecedented joint donation of £120,000.00 to support the cause of local mountain rescue has enabled each team to actively seek replacement of their existing specialist vehicle fleets.” Garry then went on to state; “Of course the ultimate beneficiaries of the kindness of the Master Mark Masons of East Lancashire are not the members of the Mountain Rescue Teams that you have so kindly supported, but all those people in the local community we will be called upon to help and assist over the lifespan of the vehicles you have enabled us to purchase.”
A selection of the benefactors
At the ceremony we met again our dear friends and supporters John Crawford and George Davis, amongst many others from the Mark Mason Community.
Bolton, Oldham and Rossendale Mountain Rescue Teams in front of the old vehicles
Keep watching our website for news of progress with the ordering and commissioning of our new team vehicles.
All photos in this article are reproduced with thanks to Oldham MRT
